LONDON -- Arsene Wenger has rejected claims he is gambling with the fitness of Alexis Sanchez.
Sanchez, who has started more games than any other Arsenal player this season, played the whole of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United despite suffering a hamstring injury while on international duty with Chile.
He wore strapping on the affected area and remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes as Olivier Giroud levelled for the Gunners with just a minute left on the clock.
"He had a bit of tightness in his hamstring, but he was checked before the game," Wenger said at his prematch news conference ahead of the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain. "I follow the instructions of the medical staff and the player.
"If they declare him capable of playing, and the player does as well ... I have never forced anyone to play in my life.
"I've never demanded anyone should be injected to play. If a player is 100 percent, I make a decision. But the suggestions I have forced him to play are wrong, completely wrong.
"I had the luxury to give [Mesut] Ozil a break because Germany didn't pick him. Sanchez was not overloaded with games before United, either, as he didn't play in Colombia."
The 27-year-old has already hit eight goals and could be rested against PSG, having been forced to sit out almost two months last season when he picked up a similar injury at this stage a year ago.
Wenger, meanwhile, has called on his team to "finish the job" against PSG by clinching top spot in their Champions League group.
Arsenal, who are already through, are currently ahead of PSG on goal difference, and a 0-0 or 1-1 draw would be enough to maintain their advantage over the French champions, but Wenger is adamant he wants a win to guarantee they will win the group.
"I believe that the two teams have done the job until now," Wenger said. "We have done what was expected and we have done it away from home, now we can finish the job at home.
"Of course we want to do it. We played a draw there and it's just down to us to win the game here."
The Gunners are in a much more comfortable position than last year, when they had to win their last two games just to finish second behind Bayern Munich. That led to a round-of-16 meeting with Barcelona, which they lost 5-1 on aggregate.
"It's a luxury to be qualified after four games," Wenger added. "Last year we had to battle until the end and this season we could finish the job after five games. That would mean we have done really well."
The Frenchman said there are no new injuries to worry about, even though Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey didn't take part in full training on Tuesday. Alexis Sanchez should not be hampered by the hamstring problem he suffered during the international break but Olivier Giroud could yet start up front.
Giroud came on to score the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Saturday and is pushing for a recall.
Sanchez has been leading the line to great effect, but could be moved back to the wing to accommodate Giroud. Wenger said it's a decision he will face throughout the season, and that the right choice depends on what type of striker will work best against a particular team.
"My thinking is that they are different styles of players and that dictates a different style to us as well," Wenger added. "The shape, the form of the players of the moment, their hunger -- it's a mixture of many ingredients that go through your mind and then you make your decision.
"My job is to select and decide, and that is the same every week and every three days."
Giroud has mainly been used an impact substitute this season after returning from a toe injury, and came off the bench to net twice in the win at Sunderland. But Wenger rejected the notion that Giroud will mainly be used from the bench this season.
"Olivier Giroud has been out for a long time. He's ready to compete again now and from game to game it will change a little bit," he said. "I will make minor rotations but he's not forever on the bench.
"He will play games, he will be on the bench sometimes, like everybody else."
In other injury news, Wenger said Santi Cazorla remains about two weeks away from returning to full training as he recovers from an inflamed Achilles, while striker Lucas Perez will be back in light training this week. Perez had originally been ruled out until mid-December with an ankle injury, but Wenger said he "is ahead of schedule."
However, right-back Mathieu Debuchy will not be involved on Wednesday despite making his return with the under-23s on Friday. He has yet to make an appearance this season, but could return to provide cover for the injured Hector Bellerin, who has been ruled out for a month. Carl Jenkinson is expected to start against PSG after coming into the team at Old Trafford.
"[Debuchy] is close now, he has been injured many times -- he's had set-backs," Wenger said. "I was hesitating to include him tomorrow. But for me, still, not enough competition to say I can throw him in in a Champions League game with the intensity of a Champions League game, and he will be comfortable.
"I think he still needs one or two weeks. If he gets through this week well, I think he will come back into the group."
Bellerin gave Arsenal a big boost on Monday when he signed a new long-term contract to tie his future to the club. It ended speculation about a possible move to Barcelona or Manchester City, and Wenger said it was a display of loyalty from a player who joined the Arsenal academy at 16.
"It just sends out [the message] that the media will have to find a different name for somebody who wants to leave the club," Wenger said jokingly. "Overall it shows that the players we have educated here are committed, and that's what you want.
"When you give chances and educate young boys, when you give them a chance to play in the first team, you want them to commit to the club. That's an important quality that we have at this club, so we are very happy when they commit."